


Adventures in Ghost Hunting

by raiseyourpinky



Series: Adventures [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Bisexual Dean Winchester, Coming Out, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Ghost Hunters, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-30
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-07-04 11:09:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15840039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raiseyourpinky/pseuds/raiseyourpinky
Summary: It's a Friday night, and the gang is ghost hunting. It was all Dean’s idea. Charlie and Jo are there because they believe in their mission. Sam's there because he's the voice of reason, and he's trying to prove ghosts aren't real. Castiel is there because he's been Dean's best friend since the first grade--and he may or may not be in love with him. The truth is, none of them have any idea what they're doing.





	Adventures in Ghost Hunting

**Author's Note:**

> Hi. So, I've had a really bad cold this week and I just happened to write this fic while I was suffering through fevers. That's usually how it goes with me. Hope you guys enjoy. I had so much fun writing it.

They entered the house carrying flashlights. Dean at the front, leading them all. Castiel followed Dean, as always. Then it was Jo, holding the EMF meter. Charlie held the camera, and she walked in next. The last one was Sam, walking reluctantly because he would much rather be anywhere else.

Dean stopped walking abruptly, and Castiel crashed into him. All the others were farther apart, so they had time to stop. Dean turned around to face them, but he wasn’t looking at any of them. His eyes were on the ceiling of the house. Castiel looked up, hoping to find some terrifying creature with sharp teeth smiling down at them. But, of course, there was nothing.

“I feel something,” Dean said, walking backwards.

Castiel tried not to smile. They’d recently become ghost hunters.

It had all been Dean’s idea.

Castiel and Dean had been best friends since the first grade. They did everything together. They’d even dated the same girl, Meg. It should have been weird, but somehow it wasn’t, because Dean had insisted that Castiel go after Meg right after he dumped her, and so he did. For most of their lives, it had only been Castiel, Dean, and Sam. But when they got to high school and met Jo and Charlie, they became part of the gang. That’s what Dean called their group, the gang. Dean had always had a thing for Scooby-Doo.

That was possibly why Dean had coerced them all into becoming ghost hunters for the night. Lately, Dean and Castiel had spent most of their afternoons watching scary movies. They’d gotten through The Grudge, Sinister, The Conjuring, Insidious, and The Ring. So, naturally, after watching all of those terrifying supernatural scenarios, Dean wanted all of them to experience it firsthand.

It didn’t take long for Dean to find a person willing to let them enter their home at midnight to look for ghosts, or whatever it was they were doing. Mrs. Barnes was a nice lady who believed her house was haunted, so she’d stayed at her sister’s while they worked their magic. Castiel wasn’t afraid of ghosts; he didn’t think they’d find any of them here, but he wouldn’t want to be anywhere else tonight.

“I’m not getting anything on this thing,” Jo said.

Charlie pointed the camera at Jo. “Do you even know how that thing works?”

“Yes!” Jo huffed, and then frowned. “No.”

Dean rolled his eyes. “Guys, let’s focus. There’s a ghost in this house. I can feel it.”

Castiel pulled out his voice recorder. “Do you want to start asking questions?”

There was a crash somewhere in the room. Castiel pointed his flashlight towards the sound, and found Sam picking up an elephant ceramic that had fallen.

“What, did you think that was a ghost?” Sam asked. “That’s probably the most action you’ll get, anyway.”

Even though Sam was two years younger than Dean, they got along better than most siblings. Sam was at that age where he was embarrassed to be hugged by Dean in public, but at home, he never protested it. Castiel was close with Sam, too. But it was different with Sam. Castiel wasn’t secretly in love with him.

“Cas, c’mere,” Dean whispered.

Castiel took a few steps closer. “What is it?”

“I don’t really know what I’m doing here,” Dean whispered close to his ear.

“None of us do. You’re doing fine, Dean.” Castiel smiled reassuringly.

Dean let out a breath. “Thanks. Hey, stick close to me. Just in case.”

Castiel nodded. Not like he needed to be told twice.

“Alright, everyone, follow me to the table in the kitchen,” Dean said.

They all sat on the rounded table. Castiel sat to Dean’s right, and placed the voice recorder at the center of the table, already recording. Dean placed his hands palm up on the table and indicated for everyone to hold hands. Castiel held Dean’s hand with one hand and Jo’s with the other.

“What are we doing?” Sam asked.

“You’ll see,” Dean said. He closed his eyes and told everyone to do the same. Then Dean started singing the Beetlejuice song. “Day-o, day-ay-ay-o. Daylight come and me wan’ go home.”

“What the hell?” Charlie asked.

“Day, me say day, me say day, me say day,” Dean continued.

Castiel bit the inside of his cheeks to keep from laughing.

“If you are in this room with us, give us a sign,” Dean said.

There was a tension in the room because, in that moment, all of them were expecting something extraordinary to happen.

Nothing happened.

“Okay, so we’ll just ask a few questions, if you don’t mind,” Dean said, clearing his throat. “What is your name?”

Silence. A small red light on the voice recorder showed that it was still recording.

Dean squeezed Castiel’s hand. “Your turn.”

Castiel swallowed. What should he ask a ghost? Well, if there was a ghost, he’d want to know one thing. “What was it like to die?”

“You’re morbid, Cas,” Sam said from across the table.

Castiel shrugged.

Jo went next. “Are you a ghost by choice, or are you stuck in this realm? Also, follow up question, do you want us to help you move on?”

“How would we even do that?” Sam asked.

“Shhh,” Dean said.

When it was Charlie’s turn, she moved the camera that had been set on the table to face her. “What do you look like? Are you Casper-like, or are you more solid? Not that I’m judging. I’m sure you’re a really nice-looking ghost either way.”

Everyone looked at Sam, expectantly. Sam clenched his jaw, hesitating. Finally, he leaned forward. “Uh, I guess, do you have any unfinished business? Isn’t that the typical question for ghosts?”

Dean let go of Castiel and Sam’s hands, and everyone else let go of the hands they were holding. “Cas, play back the audio.”

Castiel grabbed the voice recorder and hit play. Again, he tried hard not to laugh at Dean’s rendition of the Banana Boat Song. There had been no answer to Dean’s question, but they caught a bit of a sound after Castiel’s so-called morbid question. It was a quick thing that they almost missed, but Sam heard it, so they played it again. There was something in the audio. One word. They all gathered closer on the table, the volume as high as it could go.

“It said ‘hard!’” Jo said.

“No, it didn’t,” Charlie said. “It said ‘bad.’”

Castiel tried to focus as he played it once more. _Hard_ , the voice had said. The entity, or whatever, had answered that dying was hard. It had answered Castiel’s question. A chill ran down Castiel’s spine, and he felt suddenly sick. Leaving the voice recorder behind, Castiel ran out of the room, moving as fast as he could in the darkness because he’d forgotten his flashlight at the table. He made it outside the door in a couple of seconds, after stumbling a few times. There, he sat on the top step of the front porch, inhaling deep breaths that somehow didn’t fill his lungs.

“Cas, hey, you okay?” Dean sat down beside him, a careful hand on Castiel’s back.

Castiel took a few more strained breaths. “I didn’t think I was afraid of ghosts.”

“I didn’t either,” Dean said. “When we watch scary movies I’m usually the one who closes his eyes. You never look away.”

“Something answered me.”

Dean leaned his head against Castiel’s. “Yeah, well, even ghosts like you. You should take that as a compliment.”

Castiel snorted. “Shut up.”

“You don’t have to go back inside. Matter of fact, we can all just leave now. Just say the word.”

Castiel leaned back so he could look Dean in the eye. He’d drop everything for Castiel. But then, Castiel would do the same for Dean. “I’m going to finish what we started.”

Dean smiled. “Do you want me to hold your hand?”

Castiel rolled his eyes.

 

***

 

They walked through the house, asking more questions and hoping for more answers. Castiel decided not to ask anymore questions, but he was happy to hold the voice recorder. They heard something fall from the master bedroom when they were in the guest bedroom. Dean led the way, and they found a book on the floor. When Dean picked it up, he pointed out that it was a Bible, which unnerved Castiel. He shivered, but he hoped no one noticed.

Dean put the Bible back on the nightstand and asked another question. “Did you just knock that down?” Silence. “Why did you do it?”

“I think this thing is picking up something,” Jo said.

“Seriously?” Dean asked.

“Shit’s getting real, guys,” Charlie said.

“I think we should go,” Sam said, shifting on his feet.

Castiel couldn’t agree with him more, but he kept quiet.

“Cas?” Dean said.

“Yeah?”

“Are you ready to go?”

Castiel swallowed. “I think so.”

Dean nodded. “Let’s get out of here, everyone. Nice job tonight. All of you kicked ass.”

It didn’t take long for them to gather their things and get in Dean’s Impala. Castiel checked the time on his phone. It was 3:15 a.m., the witching hour. Perfect.

Castiel rode shotgun beside Dean, while everyone else rode in the backseat. They were talking animatedly about the strange events of the night, especially the voice they picked up on the recorder. They were wondering if the video had picked up anything, too. Dean promised them they would get together the next day to review the footage, but they all had to go home for now. Dean dropped off Charlie and Jo, and then drove Castiel and Sam to his house. Castiel was spending the night with Dean. It was easier for Castiel to get permission to spend the night with Dean than to stay out past midnight.

Sam looked exhausted as he walked past them, wobbling a little bit like a walker in The Walking Dead. He mumbled a soft, “Goodnight” as he headed up the stairs.

Dean looked at Castiel, a soft smile on his lips. “Do you want a drink before we go to bed? I’m getting water.”

“Water is fine, thanks.”

Dean grabbed two water bottles and handed one to Castiel. They turned off the lights as they made their way upstairs. Dean’s bedroom was at the end of the hall. Dean opened the door and flipped the switch, lighting up the room. It was surprisingly clean. Dean must have tidied up knowing Castiel would be sleeping over. Throughout the years they’d had countless sleepovers. At one point, they’d given up on Castiel using a sleeping bag, and he just slept on Dean’s bed. Dean had a big bed, and he wasn’t weird about sharing it. Castiel wondered if Dean would feel the same if he knew the way Castiel felt about him.

Castiel threw his bag on the floor and slipped out of his shoes. “I forgot to bring sleeping clothes. Can I borrow one of your shirts?”

“Yeah, sure.” Dean dug through his drawer and tossed a shirt to Castiel. It was an old Metallica shirt. Dean wore it all the time.

Castiel removed his jeans and switched out his Henley for Dean’s t-shirt. Clad in his boxers and shirt, Castiel found his toothbrush in his bag and headed for the bathroom. While Castiel was brushing his teeth, Dean walked into the bathroom to brush his own teeth. He wore a similarly ratty t-shirt and boxers. Castiel tried to remember the amount of time they’d done this before Castiel realized how he felt about Dean. It wasn’t weird then, so it shouldn’t be weird now. That’s what he kept telling himself.

When Dean was done brushing, he grinned at Castiel in the mirror. Castiel narrowed his eyes. Dean winked. And then he was gone.

_This isn’t weird_ , Castiel thought. _It’s not weird. Dean is your best friend. Your straight best friend. He likes girls. He thinks you like girls, too._

It didn’t help the situation that Dean was already in bed, one leg sticking out of the blanket, and one arm extended, waiting for Castiel. It almost looked like an invitation. Castiel shook his head. _Dean is your best friend_.

“You want me to turn off the light?” Castiel asked, hand on the switch.

Dean turned to him, but he seemed distracted. When his eyes met Castiel’s, something flickered in Dean’s eyes. Castiel could almost see another wild idea growing in his head. He winced internally, preparing for whatever it was. Tonight, it was ghost hunting; tomorrow, who knew?

“Quit staring at me, you perv,” Castiel said, feeling self-conscious as Dean’s lingering gaze traveled up and down. It was just as terrifying as it was intoxicating.

“Cas, I need to tell you something.” Dean sounded nervous. This was rare. Dean was made of self-confidence.

“You can tell me anything.” Castiel sat cross-legged on the bed next to Dean, while Dean sat up and mirrored him.

Dean ran a hand through his hair, and then rubbed his face, like he was waking himself up. It was pretty late. Castiel was tired, too. “I don’t know how to tell you this.”

“You’ve known me for, what, eleven years? I know everything about you.”

Dean stilled. “You don’t know _this_.”

Castiel furrowed his brow. “Alright. Well, whatever it is, I’m ready to hear it. Judgement-free, of course.” That didn’t have to be said, but he said it, anyway.

“Lately,” Dean said, rubbing the back of his neck, “I’ve had feel—thoughts about—well, I’ve wanted—I’m not saying this right. You know I’ve dated a lot of girls, right?”

Castiel nodded. He knew. He’d been there through every one of them. Castiel had been a constant for Dean, and he didn’t want that to change. He’d convinced himself that being Dean’s best friend was all Castiel _should_ want.

“Well, that’s because I really like girls,” Dean continued. “I mean, I really do. You believe me, don’t you?”

“Yes, Dean. I believe you.”

Dean nodded. “But lately, I’ve been thinking that…I don’t know, I think I like guys, too.”

Castiel took that in stride. He didn’t let anything change in his expression. “Okay. Is that it?”

Dean widened his eyes. “Is that it? Dude, that’s a big deal. I’m telling you I’m gay, and you ask me if that’s it?”

“Dean, it doesn’t sound like you’re gay. It sounds like you’re bi.”

Dean looked at his lap. “I don’t know what I am. I just—I’ve been thinking about this a lot. It didn’t feel real until now, when I told you. That’s why I had to tell you first.”

“Thank you for telling me, Dean. You can trust me. You know that.”

Dean looked at him again. “Yeah, I know.” Then he smiled. Soft, and genuine.

Castiel smiled back. “Do you feel better?”

“I do, yeah.” Dean cleared his throat and looked away. “I also wanted to ask you something.”

“What is it?”

“Well, I just figured, I should test it out so I’m completely sure. You know? I’ve kissed many girls, and that’s been good and all. I wanted to see if—I don’t know if you’d be okay with me kissing you. Just once. Just to see how it feels.”

Castiel gaped at Dean. Suddenly, all the air in the room disappeared. Castiel was drowning. In lava. That would explain the inescapable heat. And what was happening to his heart? It was a drum in his chest, boom-booming out of rhythm.

“But if you’re not okay with it, we don’t have to do it,” Dean said, quickly. “If it’s too weird for you, we don’t have to. I just—I really trust you, and I want to do it with someone I trust. I don’t know if that’s too much to ask of you, though.”

What was Castiel supposed to do with this? What was he supposed to say?

“Dean, I…”

_I love you too much to kiss you just this once._

_I’m afraid that if I kiss you, I may never stop._

_I wanted to hide how I felt for you forever. This isn’t helping._

_I’ll kiss you a thousand times right now._

“I’ll kiss you,” Castiel answered, and he felt the moment his heart dropped to his stomach. It was the same feeling he got at the top of a rollercoaster just before it went down. It was that feeling over and over again.

Dean beamed, and that alone made Castiel sure he’d made the right choice. Also, when else would he get the chance to kiss the boy of his dreams? “So, how should we do this?”

Castiel blinked. “Would you prefer to do it in the dark?”

“No,” Dean said, quickly. “I want to see you.”

Castiel blushed, and he hoped it wasn’t completely visible. “We should set some ground rules first.”

“Okay. Like what?”

“Do you want tongue?”

Dean stared at Castiel. “Are you serious? A kiss without tongue isn’t a kiss.”

“Yes it is. Kisses without tongue are nice. They’re meaningful.”

“Alright, whatever. We can do it both ways.”

Castiel swallowed. “Okay. Should we stand up or do you want to stay on the bed?”

“On the bed,” Dean said.

“Vertical or horizontal?”

Dean raised his eyebrows. “Um, horizontal?”

Castiel thought he might spontaneously combust. He was this close to becoming a case on _The X-Files_. Mulder and Scully would soon be investigating the mysterious death of a seventeen year old boy right before he kissed his best friend. “Okay. I think that covers everything.”

“Are you ready?”

Castiel didn’t answer. Instead, he lay down on his back, holding his breath until he noticed that Dean moved over him. Dean was on his knees and hands on top of Castiel, a wide grin on his face. Castiel had seen that look in his eyes. He was excited. Very excited. Castiel wasn’t sure if Dean was excited about the prospect of kissing a guy, or about the prospect of kissing Castiel. He would pretend it was the latter.

“Are you ready?” Dean asked again.

“Yes,” Castiel said.

Before Dean bent down, Castiel felt one of Dean’s hands cupping his cheek. Then Dean got closer, so close their lips were only a breath away from each other. “I’m going to kiss you now,” Dean whispered, and then he did. The moment their lips met, Castiel froze. His mind shut down. But then it restarted, and it understood that this was something Castiel wanted. Castiel kissed Dean slowly at first—no tongue. They kissed tentatively, testing it out at first. The soft touches were enough for Castiel’s heart to go wild. He placed his hands on Dean’s waist, pulling him down until all of Dean’s weight was on top of him.

Dean kissed him faster, adding a bit of teeth to the mix. When he bit Castiel’s bottom lip, Castiel gasped. Dean licked him this time, and Castiel knew to open his lips for Dean. The moment Dean slipped his tongue inside, the butterflies in Castiel’s stomach grew in strength. Castiel had never kissed anyone this way. Not any of the girls he’d dated. But he’d never wanted any of those girls, not the way he wanted Dean.

Dean’s tongue had a mind of its own inside Castiel’s mouth. It was filthy. Castiel loved it. Dean had moved one of his hands to thread through Castiel’s hair, the other still cupping Castiel’s cheek in the gentlest way.

They broke off the kiss to take in sharp breaths, but then Dean kissed down Castiel’s neck with a passion like Castiel had never seen. It took him a second to remember that Dean was only kissing him to test out his sexuality, and nothing else. He’d almost forgotten. “Dean.”

Dean kissed Castiel’s lips again, with the desperation of a man walking in the desert in need of water. Dean kissed Castiel like he never wanted to stop. Castiel wished that was true. But he knew it wasn’t. Dean was simply getting carried away because Castiel was a guy, and Dean liked guys, and now that he was kissing a guy, he liked it. That was it. Castiel had nothing to do with it.

“Dean,” Castiel said again.

“What is it?” Dean said, capturing his mouth again in languid kisses that made Castiel’s toes curl.

“We…should…stop,” Castiel said between kisses.

Dean pulled away, but stayed close enough that their lips were only two inches apart. “Did I do something wrong?”

_You did everything right_ , Castiel wanted to say.

“No. I just thought we were getting carried away.”

“Oh.” There was a flush on Dean’s cheeks. Castiel wanted to kiss it away. “You’re right.” Dean rolled over, and Castiel missed the weight of him as soon as it was gone. “Sorry, dude. Did I…did I make you uncomfortable?”

Castiel rolled to his side so he could look at Dean. His lips were beautifully swollen. He looked sedated and happy, and Castiel wanted to pat himself on the back for causing that. “No. I liked it.”

Dean smiled crookedly. “I liked it, too. You’re a pretty good kisser.”

“Am I?”

“The best I’ve had so far,” Dean said.

“Really?”

“Oh yeah, no competition.”

Castiel’s heart wouldn’t be able to take much more of this. “So, did that help you at all?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I think so.”

Castiel smiled. “I’m glad I could help.”

“You always do, Cas.” Dean yawned. “Let me turn off the lights. It’s late, and I know you’re tired, too.” Dean had to move over Castiel to get out of bed, and then back again once he turned off the lights.

Once they lay in the darkness of the room, wrapped under the blanket, Castiel’s heart had finally gone back to normal. Castiel could still taste Dean in his lips, could still feel the weight of him.

Castiel heard his name and realized Dean had whispered it, right before falling asleep.

 

***

 

When Castiel woke up, Dean was nuzzling his neck, an arm thrown over Castiel’s stomach, and a leg over Castiel’s legs. It all felt very intentional, so Castiel pretended nothing was out of the ordinary and simply rubbed his eyes.

“Morning,” Dean said.

“Good morning, Dean,” Castiel said, and Dean pulled him closer.

“Cas?”

“Hmm?”

“Can I kiss you again?”

Castiel was fully awake now. He tried to sit up, but Dean was practically on top of him. “I, uh, have morning breath.”

“Me too. I don’t mind.”

Castiel licked his lips. His heart was pounding again. “Okay.”

Dean kissed him at once. It was chaste and incredibly sweet. Castiel would have never imagined that Dean could kiss with such tenderness. They kissed for a long time. So long that Castiel was getting hungry. Right as the kiss was heating up, there was a knock on Dean’s door that made them both pull away.

“Yeah?” Dean croaked.

“Breakfast’s ready,” Sam called from the other side of the door.

“Be right down,” Dean said. He waited until Sam’s footsteps faded to pull Castiel in for a final kiss. “Are you hungry? I’m starving.”

“Yeah, me too.”

Dean untangled himself from Castiel, crawling over him to get out of bed. Then he hauled Castiel to his feet. Dean winked at him before he opened the door. They took turns using the bathroom down the hall, and then they went downstairs together.

The breakfast table was full of food. Dean’s parents, Mary and John, were on their regular places at both ends. Sam was getting the orange juice out of the fridge.

“Good morning, Castiel,” Mary said, smiling sweetly at him.

Castiel loved Mary. She was one of the best people he’d ever met. On Christmas, she’d always baked him an entire pie, just for him. “Good morning, Mary.”

“Hiya, Cas,” John said. “I’d say it was good to see you, but I see you mostly every day.”

“Dad,” Dean said, taking a seat.

Castiel sat beside him. “He’s right, you know. I’m always here.”

“So what?” Dean said. “This is your home, too.”

“That’s right, sweetie,” Mary said.

“You guys want some juice before I put it back?” Sam asked.

“Yeah, give it here,” Dean said.

Sam handed Dean the juice and sat across from them. “So, are Jo and Charlie coming over today to review the footage?”

Dean looked at Castiel. “Uh, yeah, I guess so. What time do you have to be back home today, Cas?”

Castiel shrugged. “My parents don’t miss me on the weekends. They know I’m usually here.”

“I just got off the phone with Naomi and she said to remind you to take care of your homework, and to call her,” Mary said.

“Thank you, Mary. I’ll call her after breakfast.”

“How was the ghost hunting?” John asked, amused.

“It was great, dad,” Dean said, biting into his pancakes. “We heard a voice on the recording. It answered Cas’s question.”

“Oh yeah?” John said, smiling at Castiel. “How about that.”

“It was no big deal,” Castiel said, sipping his juice.

“I don’t believe in any of that,” Sam said. “Ghosts aren’t real.”

“Whatever, Sammy,” Dean said. “You’re just too scared to believe in them.”

Castiel locked eyes with Mary and they both shook their heads.

 

***

 

They were all sitting on the living room floor. Charlie and Jo had arrived about half an hour ago, and they’d spent the entire time talking about the night before. Castiel had almost forgotten about their ghost hunting because of what happened right afterwards, and this morning. But now that they were back on the subject, Castiel was invested all over again.

“So, I looked through the video last night,” Charlie said. “I think I found something odd.”

“You saw it without us?” Jo asked, offended.

“I couldn’t wait!” Charlie said.

“Show me,” Dean said, huddling closer to the laptop.

Charlie played the video. It showed Dean walking into the master bedroom to pick up the Bible that had fallen. A few seconds after, there was a shadow right behind Dean, and it moved until it completely disappeared. It looked like something had walked behind Dean.

“That could have been any of us,” Sam protested. “We were using flashlights. Flashlights cause shadows.”

“It wasn’t any of us,” Charlie said. “I reviewed the footage many times, okay? Cas was in the right corner, Sam and Jo on the left, and I was filming. None of us moved like that. This shadow moved fast.”

Dean widened his eyes. “It was right behind me.”

“I know,” Charlie said.

“Are we showing Mrs. Barnes all of this?” Castiel wondered.

“We have to,” Dean said. “I just don’t know how to tell her that we don’t know how to get rid of the ghost in her house.”

“How about sage?” Jo asked.

“Maybe,” Dean said.

“So we have to go back to that house and get rid of the ghost?” Castiel asked.

“That was the plan,” Dean said.

Castiel sighed. “Of course it was.”

“I’ll research how to get rid of ghosts and get back to you on that,” Charlie said.

“We should call a priest!” Jo said.

“We clearly don’t know what we’re doing, so we shouldn’t do it,” Sam said. “Come on, guys. Ghosts aren’t real. We’re just goofing off. Don’t take this so seriously.”

Dean replayed the clip. “We have to try, at least.”

“When should we do this?” Jo asked.

Dean looked at Charlie. “What do you think?”

Charlie scratched her head. “I think we should go back there next Friday. It’ll give us enough time to research this and get whatever we need. In the meantime, we can show her what we found.”

“Great!” Dean said. “Let’s do that.”

Castiel smiled. This was how their gang worked most of the time.

 

***

 

The rest of their day was spent watching horror movies and eating pizza until they couldn’t eat anymore. Castiel sat beside Dean on the couch, and Dean threw an arm casually around his shoulders. Castiel wasn’t sure where they stood after the two times they’d kissed—or made out—but he was glad that Dean wasn’t weirded out by the situation. Castiel had been expecting things to change between them. And they had, but for the better.

When Dean thought no one was looking, he pressed his lips to Castiel’s neck softly. Once, twice. Castiel shivered.

Much later, after everyone had left, Dean drove Castiel home. They were sitting in the car, parked across the street from his house. Castiel was stalling because he wouldn’t see Dean again until Monday. For some reason, that felt unbearable. Dean was playing an old Zeppelin tape and talking Castiel’s ear off about his plans after graduation.

“I’m going to Canada in the summer,” Dean said, beaming.

“Why would you go to Canada?” Castiel asked, confused. “What’s so good about Canada?”

“Well, there’s moose,” Dean said. “Giant ones. I really want to see one up close. I want to try some poutine. I want to learn some French. There’s lots of great things in Canada.”

Castiel narrowed his eyes. “I don’t think those are good enough reasons to visit Canada.”

“Dude, I just want to get out of here for a while.” Dean snorted. “I’ve been in Lawrence my entire life. I’ve lived eighteen years without leaving the country. I think it’s time. It was either Canada or Mexico, and I flipped a coin for it.”

“Well, I hope Canada makes you very happy in the summer.” Castiel reached for the door handle, but Dean stopped him, a hand on his forearm.

“Hey, I wanted to ask, do you…do you want to come with me?”

Castiel turned on the seat, staring directly at Dean, hoping he’d heard correctly. “What?”

“I want you to come with me in the summer,” Dean said. “I’ll come back for the fall semester at KU. That’s where you’re going, too. It’d work out. If you want.”

Castiel was speechless. Dean was going to another country for the summer and he wanted Castiel to go with him. With everything that had been happening between them, Castiel wasn’t sure where they stood in their friendship. But this felt like a commitment. Like something serious. Castiel wasn’t sure if he was reading too much into it or not. He was too afraid to ask. “Do you _want_ me to go with you?”

“Of course. That’s why I asked.”

Castiel swallowed, and his throat was dry. “I’d love to join you, but I have to talk to my parents about it first. Unfortunately, I won’t be eighteen until August, so I still need their permission.”

Dean smiled so big that Castiel knew he’d said the right thing. “Okay. Let me know what they say. Canada and I will be waiting for you.”

“I should probably go inside now. My mom said she’d be waiting up for me.” Castiel reached for the door handle again.

“Cas?”

“Yeah?” When Castiel turned to Dean, he bumped noses with him. Too late, he realized Dean had gotten closer. Before he knew it, Dean’s lips were against his, kissing with desire that Castiel knew all too well. No matter how many times they’d done this, every kiss felt like their first. Every kiss felt too good to be true. But it was true. Dean was here, and he was kissing Castiel like he never wanted to stop. Castiel kissed back in the same way, the only way he knew.

Dean pulled away first, kissing Castiel’s cheek softly. “I’ll see you Monday.”

“See you Monday,” Castiel mumbled, dizzy from the kiss.

It took all his energy for Castiel to get out of the car and make the walk up to his house, trying to hide his dazed, droopy smile from his parents when he entered his house.

 

***

 

During the week, neither of them talked about what had been happening between them. Castiel didn’t know what to do with the fact that Dean kissed him every chance he had. But that’s exactly what Dean did.

On Monday, when they went up to Dean’s room after school to study, Dean closed his bedroom door and pushed Castiel against it, kissing him senseless for a long time. After dinner, Dean had driven Castiel home, walked him to his door, and kissed him on the front porch.

On Tuesday, Dean had found Castiel at school during lunch. They usually sat at a table with Charlie, Jo, and Sam, but that day Dean didn’t let Castiel make it to the table. Instead, Dean had pulled Castiel to the bleachers on the field, and he’d kissed him underneath them until Castiel was panting.

On Wednesday, Dean had taken Castiel out to dinner. They ate greasy burgers, and shared a chocolate milkshake while Dean stole some of Castiel’s leftover fries. After that, they’d made out in the backseat of Dean’s car, fogging up the windows like the horny teenagers that they were.

On Thursday, Castiel had been busy with his science project, and he’d had to meet up with his group at the library to finish it up. He’d gotten out late, but Dean had been waiting for him in the parking lot to drive him home, claiming he didn’t want Castiel walking home this late. Castiel had been the one that had kissed Dean goodbye that night, because he felt like he was allowed to have this, for once.

Today was Friday, which meant they were ready to go back to Mrs. Barnes’s house and get rid of whatever otherworldly entities resided there. Castiel hadn’t had much time to dwell on the voice that had answered his question—he’d had a bit of an exciting week—but now that he was back in the groove of things, he shivered at the thought of it. Whether or not that shadow behind Dean had been a ghost, the voice on the recorder was clear enough that Castiel couldn’t deny how real it was.

Charlie and Dean had gone over their findings with Mrs. Barnes, and she’d nodded along like she believed all that they were saying. Either she was a great actress, or she was really that gullible. Alright, so maybe Castiel was gullible, too. He wasn’t sure what to make of what they’d found. He just knew this house gave him the creeps.

Sam handed Castiel a coffee in a Styrofoam cup, and lingered by his side as Charlie explained what they would be doing during the night. “Can you believe we’re wasting our Friday night hunting _ghosts_?”

“You still don’t believe in any of this, do you?” Castiel asked, sipping his coffee.

Sam sighed. “I believe in science, Cas. Something Dean hates, judging from his grades.”

“Then why are you here?”

“I ask myself that every time,” Sam said. “But Dean’s my brother. I’ll stick by him, even when he makes me go ghost hunting on a Friday night. What about you?”

“Me? Sam, I’ve been your brother’s best friend for eleven years. Ghost hunting is one of the most sensible things he’s talked me into doing.” Kissing him was _the_ most sensible thing, by far.

“Have you noticed how weird he was acting this week?” Sam asked. “He was barely home all week, but when he got home he had on this goofy smile. Do you think he’s on drugs?”

Castiel tried not to choke on his coffee. “What? No. Of course not. Dean’s not on drugs, Sam. Trust me.”

“Then why’s he acting so strange? Has he told you something?”

Castiel tried not to show how guilty he felt. But this wasn’t his secret to tell. Dean hadn’t come out to his family yet, and he wouldn’t out him to his brother. Or to anyone else. “No. But I know he’s not on drugs. I know him well.”

Sam shrugged. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

Charlie glared at both of them. “Why aren’t you two listening to me? I’m going over the prayer circle we’re about to do, and you’re not paying attention.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Castiel said, setting his coffee down on a table and going over to Charlie. “I’m here. I’m listening.”

“Prayer circle?” Sam asked, joining them.

Charlie sighed. “I’ll be burning sage while you five join hands and pray for the ghost to head into the light. We’re going to work as a team to get it out of here. We need to keep our skepticism out of this, _Sam_.”

“I didn’t say anything!” Sam protested.

“Just hold hands, guys,” Charlie said.

Castiel was surprised that Mrs. Barnes had stuck around for this. He held her hand, and then he felt someone hold his other hand. Dean was standing beside him, smiling that sweet smile of his. Castiel wanted to kiss him, but he resisted the pull. They would have time for that later. Everyone else joined their small circle, and Dean started the prayer.

“Hello, God, or angels, or saints—um, I’m not very religious, so this is hard for me. I’m praying to whoever’s listening, so hope you’re tuning in. Listen, there’s a spirit in this house. We heard and saw them. I’m not sure why they’re here, or what they want. See, none of us are psychic. We’re just teenagers with a lot of free time on our hands. We want the spirit to go where they’re supposed to go. This is Mrs. Barnes’s house, and she needs peace. So, please, if you could help the spirit find their way out of here, that’d be great.”

Castiel squeezed Dean’s hand. “To whoever’s here, I’d like to add that it was really nice of you to talk to us. We heard your voice. We saw your shadow. We know you’re here. We’re asking that you find peace, too. Go wherever you’re meant to go.”

“Alright, all the sage is gone,” Charlie said. “I think we’re done.”

“That’s it?” Mrs. Barnes asked. “My house is ghost-free?”

Dean rubbed the back of his neck. “Hopefully. Look, if you keep hearing or seeing weird things, give me a call, and we’ll come back. I think we did all we could tonight.”

Mrs. Barnes nodded. “Thank you very much, everybody. You kids did me a huge favor by coming here and taking care of the ghost. I swear, none of my friends believed me when I told them I heard things go bump in the night. They all said it was my imagination. But now I don’t feel so crazy.”

“You’re not crazy,” Charlie said.

“Definitely not,” Dean said.

“This was fun,” Jo said. “It’s still early. Should we get some food?”

“Yes, please,” Sam said.

“Where do you want to eat, babe?” Dean asked Castiel.

Castiel gaped at him, and then he looked at the confused looks their friends were giving them. The confusion quickly turned into hesitant excitement.

“Uh, did I just call you babe?” Dean asked, rubbing the back of his neck, laughing nervously. “I was kidding, obviously. Sometimes I call Cas babe because he’s my good buddy, you know? Guys call their guy friends babe sometimes. Cas is my bro. He’s my bro, and bro sounds a lot like babe. It’s easy to get it mixed up.”

Castiel rolled his eyes. Dean was such a terrible liar. And was he so ashamed of everyone finding out he was into Castiel, or was he just not ready to come out? Castiel wasn’t sure, but he was getting a headache. “I’ll go wait in the car.”

Things were tense and awkward as the rest of them got in the Impala. They noticed that Castiel was in the backseat instead of the passenger seat, which Sam took instead. Dean pulled up at their favorite diner, The Roadhouse, and they grabbed a booth. Castiel sat with Sam and Jo, while Charlie and Dean sat across from them.

Castiel didn’t look at Dean as he ordered his food, but he could feel Dean and everyone else staring at him. They weren’t even being subtle about it.

“Cas?” Dean asked. “Are you okay?”

Castiel looked at him, and he hated the puppy dog look Dean was giving him. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?”

Castiel scoffed. “Yes, Dean. I’m fine.”

“Okay. Okay, good.”

Castiel crossed his arms and leaned back on his seat as he waited for his food. Everyone else tried to start up conversations but they died easily. They all knew something was going on with Dean and Castiel. Maybe Castiel had been lying to himself all this time. Maybe Dean had never really wanted him. All those kisses, they’d just been for Dean’s amusement. Dean kissed Castiel because he knew how much Castiel liked it, and he felt sorry for him. But he didn’t want anything serious with him.

“I’ll be right back,” Dean said.

The once quiet diner suddenly was filled with music. Castiel had forgotten that there was a jukebox in the corner that was rarely used. Castiel recognized the song. It was a cheesy tune. _Bleeding Love_. Castiel used to sing it unironically when he’d discovered it on the radio years ago. Dean always scrunched his nose and said it was the worst song he’d ever heard, but Castiel sang it even louder.

_"You cut me open, and I keep bleeding. Keep, keep bleeding love. I keep bleeding. Keep, keep bleeding love.”_

Dean returned to the booth, but he didn’t sit down this time. He stood in front of Castiel, hand extended for him. Castiel wasn’t sure what the hell was going on, but he placed his hand in Dean’s, if only because the constant pull he felt towards Dean forced him to do it. As soon as Castiel was on his feet, Dean pulled him into his arms, smiling. He gave Castiel a spin, and then dipped him. Castiel clung onto Dean, afraid he would fall. Dean had a tight grip on him. He wouldn’t let him fall.

When Dean pulled Castiel back up, he kissed him. Right there, in front of their friends. Dean kissed him and the song kept playing. Castiel could hardly hear it with the pounding of his heart being so loud. But he heard Dean’s voice in his ear when he pulled away, “Will you go out with me?”

Castiel blinked at him, stunned. He could hear the whistling and cheering from their table, but it was nothing more than background noise at the moment. “Yes. Yes, I will.”

Dean beamed, pulling Castiel back into his arms for a warm hug.

After that, Castiel sat back down, knees wobbly and heart still loud as ever.

When Dean sat down, he looked at everyone else. “So, I have some news. I’m bisexual. And I’m now dating Cas.” He looked so proud of the last sentence. Castiel still couldn’t believe it. Any of it.

“This is awesome,” Charlie said. “I knew you two were meant to be.”

“I totally saw it coming!” Jo said.

Sam shook his head. “I should have seen it coming. It was so obvious.”

The song ended, but then it started all over again.

Dean looked at Castiel. “I set it to play eleven times. We might have to leave before everyone starts throwing their food at us when they realize the song will just keep on playing.”

Castiel laughed. “You’re crazy.”

“Get used to it, babe.”


End file.
